Charred Broccoli is Your New Favorite Vegetable

Whoever’s idea it was to serve boiled broccoli to humans with functioning taste buds deserves to be put in a corner to think about what he did. To ruin such a versatile, nutritious, and yes, delicious food for the masses is nothing short of a crime. Same goes for the guy who served steamed broccoli. Yuck.

Just like kale needs to be massaged to be palatable, broccoli needs to be charred. Charring broccoli (cooking it on high heat until blackened around the edges) brings out a bold nuttiness, as well as a smokey umami flavor usually reserved for juicy seared steaks or gorgeous grilled chicken. The good news is that charring broccoli is so easy to do: get your oven smoking hot, toss your broccoli with oil and flavorings of your choice, and roast for 20-25 minutes. Charred broccoli makes a great side for any animal protein; I usually eat mine with rice and beans. More good news? Turns out, the broccoli stalks we’ve been tossing in the trash for years are totally edible! See below for directions.

Miso Charred Broccoli
Don’t have miso, soy sauce or sesame oil on hand? No problem. Toss broccoli with 2-3 tablespoons canola oil and a generous pinch of salt. Roast as directed for similar results.
(Yield: 4-6 side servings)
Ingredients:

• 1 large head broccoli
• 1 tablespoon white miso (shiro miso)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon organic canola oil

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Cut off broccoli florets and cut into bite size pieces; place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Slice off a small piece of the bottom of the broccoli stalk. Cut stalk in half lengthwise, place cut-side down, and slice into 1/4″ thick slices. Add to baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, combine miso, soy sauce and oils using a fork. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss with your fingers to coat evenly.
4. Roast until broccoli is charred in places but retains most of its crunch and bright green color, tossing once halfway through cooking, 20-25 minutes.
5. Charred broccoli is best served immediately. Leftovers can be tossed into a salad or omelet.